With a new sink, a new counter and radiant floor heating, Simran Sethi's new bathroom proves "earth-friendly" can be luxurious.

By Simran Sethi

Using recycled toilet paper is important.

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Tackling Toilet Paper

Even if you're not in a place to use wood remnants for a new cabinet or recycled aluminum for a new backsplash, you still have an opportunity to embrace the eco-tenet of recycling in your bathroom—in your toilet paper. As I explain in my post about our morning ritual, the average American uses over 100 rolls [of toilet paper] a year, most of which is made from a combination of softwood and hardwood trees. Southern pines and Douglas firs make the paper strong, while maples and oaks make the paper soft.

I am not convinced that oak trees should be chopped down in order to give our bums a little more comfort—or that dioxin contamination from the chlorine bleach used to make traditional toilet paper bright is the right price to pay for white T.P.

Toilet paper made from recycled paper uses colored and white paper stock and is usually whitened with hydrogen peroxide. My choice is Seventh Generation because of the integrity the company shows throughout their product line.